Ethics and public health

For me was always difficult to separate the ethics of public health professionals from the ones of the general public. Last class we discuss several issues involving ethics and in some of them i could not tell if we are not talking about general ethic of conduct. Particularly in settings where human writhes are violated this becomes more difficult.

Healthcare financing

The problem is clear, but what about the solutions to finance halthcare in this increasing pattern of raising costs.
Is it viable to redesign from zero the entire system? Sounds unrealistic....but, does small changes really make a difference? Does something that affects 2% (for example: savings accounts) of the population has the potential of make any change. Maybe this time its time to see other countries solutions to try to replicate the good leassons learns.

Aproptiate response?

After our last discussion I keep thinking what is the burden between alarming and response to a threat. Of course Public health system does not want to create panic, but we want to give a prompt response. What would happened with SARS if we did not response in the way we did....now body knows, but experts said the action taken where appropriate. How we prepare for a pandemic? how sensitive should be the surveillance system? I assume we can use the popular fraze, It is better prevent than cure.

Technology innovations

What happened with the promotion of certain technology innovations that are not reaching the whole society?In the video that we saw last class there where a lot of things that where very innovative and interesting but, are they for everyone that wont to use it? How we can subsidize them so everyone can benefit. What do you think about a subsidy from the users of this technology or form the manufacturers or even in some cases from the government to make them more accessible.

Technology and regulations.

Innovations are good thing if we use it to achieve better health outcomes. Last class I learn that the agency in charge of the regulations will not focus in the economic aspect of the new technology just in the efficacy and the security of the new innovations. But up to what extend the raising in the health cost that we are experience is because of excessive use of expensive technologies. I can imagine that there is a link between those.
One possible suggestion is that they made recommendations for the use of the new technologies.
For example the American Academy of pediatrics does this and for the consumer is very useful. Sometimes decide without advice could be very difficult, specially when something so important as health is involved.And as public health professionals we wont people to be informed by neutrals players as much as possible, if they do not made recommendations there will be others that will take this role,with the potential risk of having economic interests involved.

Mental and body health?

Last night we discuss among other issues mental health, and several times during the discussion I heard the Fraze "psychosomatic illness" It is very strange for me, that I am a Medical doctor and a Homeopathic patient and I never could understood how can not all the disease been psychosomatic. How can you take your perception and your personal feelings from the perspective of a disease....is it for everyone the same or each individual experience different sensation associate with their perceptions, and specially if we are taking about mental health.
I hope this make sense for you...

The role of the medical doctors

During our last class we discuss the role of the medical doctors.
What we want form the medical community?. In our discussion it seams that we expect that they do more than cure disease, but how is their training in medical school? I was surprise tha one of our classmates mention that there is no public health class in the medical curriculum here. When I went to med school even it was not the most "popular" class we take at least an introduction to public health. I think it might be a good idea to introduce it in the curriculum specially if its for the benefit of the majority of the population.

chronic disease, we can do something and we need to do it.

I just saw the video for this week, face to face with chronic disease: http://www.who.int/chp/chronic_disease_report/media/video/en/index.html I strongly recommend it.

We can prevent most of the chronic disease and as the director of the WHO said the ways to do it are well known and achievable. So, What are we as a society waiting? Why there are not been used? Prevention. It does not sound so difficult....
We can make a difference.

Reversing Diabetes natturally

For this week topic noncommunicable disease we saw a video about reversing diabetes naturally.

It is an interest experience, specially because last week i been heard a lot about the raw movement, even in the framer market of Santa Monica last Sunday there is a place that just have raw food.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1407054601065907544&q=diabetes+epidemic&hl=en

My main question is is it sustainable? I am afraid that some people like the ones we can see in the video think htat they have found a solution for their problems and this migth not be real. It is a possibility and I hope we can get more information about the long term effects but what happened with some patients given up their treatment or even with their mind thinking that they could manage the disease and maybe this is just temporary.

Some barriers for communicable disease.

What is the role of public health with communicable disease and how much the influence of other sectors should impact health decisions.
If we focus on sexual transited disease it is hard for me to separate them from the cultural and religious facts that influence it so much.
Can we create a change in health outcomes without creating a policy change? How can we separate, if its possible to do it, the medical decisions form the cultural factors that influence it....
In so many countries we are facing the dichotomy between a high number of sexually transmitted disease and there not so much that is done for the persons in charge of taking care of the health of the population.
Is abstinence a possible reality to combat it or we should start to take another approach to a raising problem?

A call for action.

I have not seen any media campaign with a more effective (at last for me) call for action.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7678580226115493904&q=AIDS+orphans&hl=en

While I was study medicine, It was more easily for me to separate my personal feelings from my work. In public health the problems are so broad that this is not so easy for me. When I see something like this first I feel so sorry and then an urgent necessity of doing something.

Changing Trends in Communicable Diseases: Implications for Global Health

This week we are going to discuss Changing Trends in Communicable Diseases: Implications for Global Health. I just saw a video Larry Brilliant he explains in fascinating detail the key behind the successful WHO campaign to eradicate Smallpox, and then unveils his TEDPrize wish: to build a global system that detects each new disease or disaster as it emerges or occurs.

http://tedblog.typepad.com/tedblog/files/larrybrilliant.html

I strongly recommend it. It is very inspiring. Surveillance system and epidemiological studies can be very difficult to real ice but they are fundamental for early detection and response. It is scare to think in a possible pandemic affecting our selves or our children, but hopefully people like Larry Brilliant, the GPHIN or maybe some of us can isolate the virus or bacteria and be able to stop the pandemic.

What is the impact of the globalization on healht?

Is globalization a positive force to achieve better health outcomes? We are in a period were globalization is a fact, we need to try to use the benefit that it provides to improve global health.
Last class we discussed the different aspects of globalization, we explored examples where globalization generated good and bad outcomes and there is one thing that I would like to remark. We saw that we live in a world where there exist many differences between individuals and we can not be indifferent about it. We are the next generation of public health leaders and we can make a difference.
I plan to return to my country upon the completion of my master, and there I want to work in order to help the less fortunate people have better health. This will guide my career.

An international perspective for the gobal health track of the MPH ast USC

While I was doing the program I sometimes felt that some of the health issues we where addressing in the different classes where so different from the public health priorities in my country that I have difficulties imaging the way in which I was going to use that information when I 'll return to my country. When the global health track appear last year I felt that I have a space to think with a more open mind, to realise that some of the problems need a more broad solution and that the realities of one could be very different from the reality of other.

The first impresion of the course

I did not thought about how I was going to integrate everything I learn during the program until the first class of this course.... I am so glad that I am taking this class. It looks that we need to work hard but with the reward of an intensive learning experience.
After more than a decade of formal studies in a few month I might not have the privilege of spend my time as a student, that is another reason what I wont to take advantage of as much as I can, read different things and think in new and old problems. Who would said that after so many way run we will be going to discuss again the definition of health...

Hello everyone! As a requirement of my last course of my Master program I am creating a blog to share my toughts. I hope we enjoy this adventure, Thank you for joining me.